U.S. President Donald Trump again addressed the war in Iran overnight Saturday, speaking at an economic conference in Florida organized by Saudi business leaders.
Trump said Iran is “the only country where nobody wants to lead,” adding that its supreme leader “is no longer supreme.” He also said Iran is “not the bully any longer” in the Middle East and is “on the run.” He further claimed that Mojtaba Khamenei was either dead or in very serious condition, saying no one had heard from him.
'They have to open up the Strait of Trump - I mean, Hormuz'
(Video: the white house )
Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative event in Miami, Trump said the region is closer than ever to being free from what he described as Iranian terror, aggression and nuclear blackmail. He said the United States is working to eliminate Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities and described recent U.S. actions as among the most significant military operations in history.
He praised the capabilities of the U.S. military, saying it possesses advanced weapons systems unknown to the public, and asserted that Iran’s military has been severely weakened. Trump also said Iran would have used a nuclear weapon if it had successfully developed one.
He described Iran’s leadership as unstable and said its top leadership had been severely impacted.
Trump also pointed to widespread missile attacks by Iran across the region, including toward Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, saying the missiles “came down on them like rain.”
Addressing regional leaders, Trump said Iran had intended to strike multiple countries, not only Israel, but that U.S. actions had prevented broader escalation. He also referenced the 2020 killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, describing it as a pivotal moment during his first administration, and said it demonstrated U.S. resolve against Tehran.
Trump said the United States and Iran are “negotiating now,” adding that it “would be great if we could do something.” He called on Iran to reopen a key maritime route, saying: “They have to open up the Strait of Trump - I mean, Hormuz.” He also said Iran had sent the United States 10 oil tankers “to make up for their misstatement” about not being involved in negotiations, without providing further details.
He repeated criticism of NATO, saying the alliance made “a big mistake” by not providing military support.
Trump also highlighted international backing for U.S. actions, saying countries outside the region had offered significant support. He cited Turkey and Indonesia in particular, praising Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership.
Later in his remarks, Trump called on Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, a series of normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states brokered during his first administration. He said the agreements had delivered economic benefits to participating countries and expressed confidence that additional countries in the Middle East and beyond would join.